Apple waged a broadly successful campaign to persuade Windows PC owners to migrate to the Mac by making compatibility tools readily available, and now Samsung is trying the same trick - on iPhone users.
Today it said it would give iOS defectors a free copy of Easy Phone Sync to anyone buying a Galaxy smartphone. The utility …

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Samsung are becoming the Ford Focus of phones - ok but most people would rather drive an Audi / BMW or Mercedes. I cannot forgive how manufacturers and networks dump older phones - typically after just 12-18 months forcing you to upgrade - at least models like the iPhone 3GS are still supported today maybe 4 years after launch?

If you want to upgrade every 18 months fine - but you can save a lot of money if you do not want to and go sim only. People forget the TCO over the whole lifetime.

Re: AC @ 11:48 GMT

"And we all know what...everyone thinks of Audi, BMW and Mercedes drivers, right?"

No..."we all" do NOT know what "everyone" thinks about them? How can YOU make a blanket statement about people you don't even know. And no...I don't drive one of those vehicles...but if I did, so what?

So what make do you drive? Whatever it is, you are plainly an arsehole.

After all you must be...because "...we all know what everyone thinks of vehicle X, vehicle Y and vehicle Z drivers, right?"

Re: As a samsung user

Re: As a samsung user

Oh, I agree 110% on that. It has to be the worst synch software ever.

They could have learned a lesson from iTunes, now I don't mean blatant copying, but Kies is fucking dismal.

On the article, I am happy to hear that Samsung are offering a "migration" utility from Apple products as I have both an Apple and a Samsung fondleslab and the manual migration took an entire afternoon, although the contacts was a piece of cake using Google+ (Migrate Apple Contacts to G+ then synch Galaxy Tab with G+)

Re: As a samsung user

I'm sure I read somewhere (quite recently) that in the US smartphone market Apple & Samsung account for 90% of all sales, with Samsung slightly ahead of Apple.

So, yes, chief competitor alright.

I guess that explains the adverts specifically taking the Michael out of the fanboi stereotype, but it also highlights the status of Android no longer being the underdog, so I'm not sure how long they can play that "don't follow the crowd" card now that they are the crowd.

Re: As a samsung user

"Oh, I agree 110% on that. It has to be the worst synch software ever."

Mondo The Magnificent,

Are you seriously trying to claim that there is software shittier than that Sony synch software they gave away with their mp3 players 5 years ago. I had to set up a friend's. Software so poor that it makes Zune look good.

using iTunes to manage the Galaxy?

didn't Palm try to do something much like that? Although in that case, they were making the Pre look like an iPhone to iTunes weren't they? And had to constantly release updates to keep working around Apple's own updates?

I take it this uses a different method? I can see how they can migrate the data, but how to they get the Galaxy to show in iTunes to allow users to manage it?

iTunes to manage... Android handsets

Interesting

My daughter moved off the iPhone a few months back to the Galaxy SII, her iPhone was continually crashing and had to be taken back to the Apple stor eseveral times when the IOS Updates came out -- each time, from a user POV they bricked the phone, the people in the local Apple Store fixed it each time, but it's fair to say she wasn't a happy customer. With the SII not a single crash.

And

This week at work a collegue at work has turned up with an SIII having moved from the iPhone 4S, his comparison between the two? The Samsung is quicker (understandably given it's a quad core), More intuitive ( that's a kick in the nuts for Apple) and much easier to use.

Re: Interesting

If the phone was continually crashing most likely Apple would have replaced it. I had a fault with the camera on my iPhone 4S - booked an appointment - they took it in the back - suggested I go for a coffee - came back 20 minutes later - fixed. Important point - without phone for 20 minutes / no data loss or hassle - quick and easy.

Had a problem with a Samsung phone - after speaking with 3 different people on their support line (taking about an hour) they quite 'reluctantly' agreed to having it back. They sent a pre-paid bag as it had to be sent off somewhere - turns out it was a 3rd party service centre and in the documentation they said it would be at least 2-3 weeks (they were right) - the person I spoke to on the phone said I would probably just be sent a new phone - when I questioned new they said 'refurbished'. So no phone for 2-3 weeks then you get a refurb and have to reinstall your data = fail.

Re: "Reg readers - iTunes refuseniks to a man jack of 'em"?

Re: "Reg readers - iTunes refuseniks to a man jack of 'em"?

@Tom Maddox

I think he just does not get El Reg's style of satirical hyperbole. Sad really. Given the number of enthusiastic Apple customers who post here you would have thought that the line "Reg readers - iTunes refuseniks to a man jack of 'em" would arouse the suspicion that it was not to be taken seriously. However, it is very clear that some people simply are "satire blind" - they would only recognise if it jumped up and bit them in the arse and perhaps not even then.

Re: What I don't get

generally speaking, i don't mind iTunes.

I let it get on with what it wants to do (look after my music, podcasts, and apps) it let's me get on with what i want to (listen to my music, sync my iStuff) never really had any problems with it. I am however perfectly acceptable of the idea that I am in the minority on this.

Re: What I don't get

Totally agree with you, the problem is there is still nothing amazing out there for managing your audio/video...

No one has actually addressed the problem, and while iTunes is atrocious, it still is one of the better options out there!

Now if Samsung come up with some amazing integrated DLNA server/player with the ability to tag files, create your own playlists, sync lists with a mobile (including files from any DLNA server, not just that server/client, that would be impressive!! Oh and of course have the ability to choose to convert or not before transfer! (I always choose not, because MY phone, unlike an iPhone, can play ANY media I've ever tried on it!)

Re: What I don't get

Last year I moved from WinAmp to iTunes (on buying an iPhone!) and whilst iTunes is undoubtedbly odd and frequently counter-intuitive, it does do the job (I don't recall a single crash after a few when it was first installed, incompletely) and does have a few cute and possibly unique features (Genius mixes, smart playlists...)

I suspect rather like Outlook, it's not as bad as people remember now!

Re: What I don't get

Re: What I don't get

Maybe it's you. iTunes worked fine for me in a mixed Mac and PC household with various iPads, iPhones and Apple TVs - certainly better than the cobbled together Windows stuff I have seen and used in the past. iTunes (these days) is certainly more reliable than previous versions but never really had big problems with it or any of the relatives / friends I end up 'supporting'.

Re: What I don't get

Re: What I don't get

D@v3, we seem to share the same view ie it's some software that does what it says on the tin and apart from when I'm using it I don't give it a second thought. Life's too short. So there you go. That's two of us.

Re: What I don't get

I've got an iPad. iTunes is OK. I don't particularly like it, and it makes your music files a bit scruffy, but it's OK. And having just got a Win Phone it's a lot nicer than Zune. Which is horrible, messy and really hard to use. If that's what the software's like, no wonder the Zune tanked. It was apparently quite nice hardware.

Re: What I don't get

iTunes isn't perfect but it is a great media player

iTunes sits on my Media center PC and cranks out the beats with 1080p album art and visualisation. I can control it from iPad/iPhone/iTouch/Android Phone/Tablet. My guests can connect to the party mode with all their devices to queue songs etc.

Now i would agree that iTunes has its shortcomings but realistically there is not much else to replace it with that performs as well. Mediamonkey and a few others come close.

Until Google create an installable replacement for iTunes and not some half-arsed web based music player then I would say that there are a lot of people who will stay with iTunes. It even sync's playlists, play count and ratings with Android using the right app.

Just proves what a load of cobbled together junk Android is - this interface, that version, this software to bridge to iTunes = hassle. Samsung have only just shipped ICS on the Note = big joke. If you want a load of hassle then Android is for you - but if you want something that just works and is likely to keep working / be supported - have a look at the iPhone.

Samsung realise a huge number of people use iTunes so they try and make some big deal about some software that is free anyway to try and bridge their phone to iTunes. Why not man up and write some decent software to manage your music - this is just cheap.

Mostly I agree with you. Having migrated a friend from one HTC Wildfire to another, the tools to do it were crap, bodged and incomplete. Why couldn't I just backup one to a PC, and restore to the other? Do Google not realise that people upgrade their phones?